January 1st, 2017
No. 2017/01
President Obama’s Message to Interim President Jocelerme Privert
on the Commemoration of the 213th Independence of Haiti
Dear Mr. Interim President:
On behalf of the United States of America, I congratulate the people of Haiti on commemorating the 213th anniversary of your nation's independence on January 1. Haiti has an historic place in the shared struggle for independence in the Western Hemisphere. The United States continues its steadfast support for a future of democracy and increased economic opportunity in Haiti.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
January 1st, 2017
No. 2017/02
Statement by Secretary John Kerry
Haiti National Day
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate Haiti and its citizens on this day of national celebration as Haiti marks the 213th anniversary of its independence.
Nearly one million people in the United States are of Haitian ancestry. Our shared pride in that heritage resulted this year in the designation of Little Haiti as an official neighborhood of Miami, Florida. The vibrancy of Little Haiti is a symbol of the community’s advocacy for historic preservation and a testament to its incorporation into the fabric of U.S. culture and society.
As Haiti rebuilds from the impact of Hurricane Matthew in the country’s southwest, the United States reaffirms its unwavering friendship for the people of Haiti. We view 2017 as an opportunity to continue to work together in support of the full renewal of Haiti’s democratic institutions and the seating of a new president elected by the Haitian people.
The Secretary-General
Appeal for Peace
1 January 2017
New York
On my first day as Secretary-General of the United Nations, one question weighs heavily on my heart.
How can we help the millions of people caught up in conflict, suffering massively in wars with no end in sight?
Civilians are pounded with deadly force. Women, children and men are killed and injured, forced from their homes, dispossessed and destitute. Even hospitals and aid convoys are targeted.
No one wins these wars; everyone loses. Trillions of dollars are spent destroying societies and economies, fueling cycles of mistrust and fear that can last for generations. Whole regions are destabilized and the new threat of global terrorism affects us all.
On this New Year’s Day, I ask all of you to join me in making one shared New Year’s resolution:
Let us resolve to put peace first.
Let us make 2017 a year in which we all – citizens, governments, leaders – strive to overcome our differences.
From solidarity and compassion in our daily lives, to dialogue and respect across political divides… From ceasefires on the battlefield, to compromise at the negotiating table to reach political solutions…
Peace must be our goal and our guide.
All that we strive for as a human family – dignity and hope, progress and prosperity – depends on peace.
But peace depends on us.
I appeal to you all to join me in committing to peace, today and every day.
Let us make 2017 a year for peace.
Thank you.
SANDRA HONORÉ'S WISHES
To mark the beginning of 2017, Sandra Honoré, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General in Haiti, and Civilian Leader of the MINUSTAH, praised the courage and the dignity of the Haitian people in the face of numerous humanitarian, economic, and political challenges during 2016. She congratulated Haitians for resuming the crucial electoral process in order to consolidate democracy, bring stability and sustain the development of Haiti.
She presented her best wishes for Haitians in 2017 and wished that this new year is one of peace and prosperity for all.
Madam Honoré hopes that 2017 is a year of unity and solidarity between the diverse segments of Haitian society, the difference social classes, and the different generations, confirming the Haitian motto that “With Unity Comes Strength.”
Various institution are condemning the mismanagement of trade between Haiti and the Dominican Republic
The business relations between Haiti and the Dominican Republic were badly mismanaged by the Haitian State at the level of the border between both countries, criticized representatives of various institutions interviewed by AlterPresse.
There is a weakening in the trend, demonstrated by an increase in the importation of Dominican products by Haiti.
"One third of the products imported by Haiti from foreign countries come from the Dominican Republic."
In addition, several voices, in various economic branches, denounced the irresponsibility of Provisional President, Jocelerme Privert and of the government of Enex Jean-Charles, in the case concerning the ban of 23 Dominican products by ground transportation to Haiti.
This decision came into effect on September 15th, 2015, under the administration of the president Michel Joseph Martelly.
Haitian Members of Parliament, and senators who represent border areas, expressed their wish to lift the ban on the 23 Dominican products.
This ban was suspended by the Haitian government, without the publication of a document, denounced Gregory Brandt of the Economic Forum of the Haitian private sector.
"The State has no control over its border… If there was a smooth running at the level of the border, the State would not need any money from foreigners to finance its projects," he maintained. "The more we let time pass, without making an intervention at the level of the border, the more it will be difficult to make good decisions," he warned.
FLASH: Beware of scams regarding payment for U.S. visas
The Embassy of the United States wants to remind everyone that it does not accept payment for visas by Western Union. It never allows payment this way. This is a scam designed to steal your money. Alert the U.S. Embassy of any visa scams at:
The Marigot City Hall goes up in flame
When will it stop?
It happened during the night between Thursday, November 29th and Friday, November 30th. Following the publication by the CEP of some of the final elections results, violent fires were started in several municipalities throughout the country. But the worst one was in Marigot, where the city hall was completely destroyed by flames.
The mayor of the municipality, René Danneau confirmed, "Unidentified individuals set fire to the building and there is nothing left.”
And that's not all; a night club was also burned down, and two houses were damaged by the fire. That same night, the mayor’s private home was also attacked and damaged by rocks that were thrown at it.
CHOLERA: Balance sheet on the rise !
It is not good news. But the Ministry of Public Health has determined that one of the consequences of Hurricane Matthew in October was an abrupt increase in the number of suspected case of cholera from 2,377 cases in September to 4,985 cases in October. Forty-eight of these new cases were identified in the Departments of Grande Anse and of the South.
From January 2016 till November, there were 39,329 new cases of cholera. That was 24 % more than during the same period in 2015. There were 420 deaths.
The Agency Free Haiti tried to explain why cholera is persisting in Haiti. According to the Agency, it is due to the inadequate financing of the National Plan for the Elimination of Cholera (45 % financing, or $9.2 million of the $20.3 million goal). Other culprits include the poor access to drinking water and the lack of adequate quality medical care.
But other factors also contribute to the persistence of cholera in our country. “Haiti Libre” quotes the lack of knowledge of the sociocultural factors tied to this problem, the high population density, and the mobility of this population towards urban areas.
Shooting at Lalue results in three deaths!
Last Friday near the Office of Immigration on John Brown Avenue in Lalue, three young men with "dreadlocks" mistakenly referred to as "Rastafarians" in Haiti, were shot down in their car by unidentified individuals on motorcycles.
Two of the victims, the driver and the passenger, were shot dead in their vehicle; the 3rd, who had managed to get out, tried to run away. The killers on motorcycles pursued him and shot him down on the sidewalk several times before fleeing.
A triple murder which looked like a strange execution, for reasons still unknown... It should be noted that this crime took place while police officers were less than 100 meters from the crime scene according to witnesses.